Afghan president orders probe into civilian deaths

KABUL -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered an investigation into a U.S.-led coalition air strike that local officials say killed 15 civilians, but the U.S. military says killed only armed Taliban militants. The issue of civilian casualties is an emotive one in Afghanistan, feeding a common perception that international forces do not take enough care when launching air strikes, and undermining support for their continued presence in the country. Nearly 700 Afghan civilians were killed in the first six months of this year, 255 of them by Afghan government and international troops, the rest by Taliban militants.Afghan President Hamid Karzai interacts with the media members after a news...

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